Grain shocker



y 1939- A. P. LOFSTRAND 2,160,335

I GRAIN SHOCKER I Filed July 19. 1958 5 Sheets-Sheet 11 (/6 Z; o flis'irand.

y 1939- A. P. LOFSTRAND 2,160,335

GRAIN SHOCKER Filed July 19, 1938 "isri'eisni 5 v I W Patented May 30, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT ()FFICE GRAIN SHOCKER.

Albin P. Lofstrand, Chicago, Ill.

Application July 19, 1938, Serial No. 220,066

8 Claims. (01. 56-419) This invention relates to a grain shocker, and it is one object of the invention to provide a machine of this character adapted for use in connection with a binder of a conventional construction and by means of which bundles oiv grain delivered from the binder may be deposited upon the ground in the form of shocks as the. machine moves across a field.

Another object of the invention is to so construct the shocker that a number of bundles of grain may accumulate in the shocking machine and the bundle holder then actuated to deliver the bundles in an upright position for forming a shock upon the ground,

Another object of the invention is to so mount the bundle holder that it may extend in a horizontal position and receive the bundles through a side opening thereof, the bundle holder being then moved to a vertical position in which the accumulated bundles may drop through the bottom of the holder and form the shock.

It is another object of the invention to provide a bundle holder so formed that bundles delivered thereto will accumulate in a group about a central core in the holder, there being also means provided under the bundle holder for causing the bundles when dropped from the holder to form a shock consisting of a double row of bundles spaced from each other at their bottom and engaging each other at their top and thus causing the bundles to remain in proper position to form a shock.

Another object of the invention is to provide a ring or band operating in the bundle holder and so mounted that it will be out of the way during movement of the bundles into the holder but at the same time movable into position to engage about upper ends of the bundles and retain them in their proper position as they move downwardly into position to rest upon the ground and form a shock.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the improved grain shocker with the bundle holder in its lowered or horizontal position for receiving the bundles,

Figure 2 is a sectional view taken vertically through the grain shocker along the line 2-2 of Figure 1,

Figure 3 is a view showing the grain shocker partially in elevation and partially in vertical section and showing the bundle holder swung to its vertical position for discharging bundles of grain onto the ground for forming .a shock, and

Figure 4 is a perspective View of a portion of the grain shocker.

This improved grain shocker is intended for use at one side of a binder in position to receive bundles of grain from the binder, it being understood that the binder will be of a conventional construction and includes the usual discharge chute A from which bound bundles of grain are discharged from the binder. The grain shocker may be connected with the binder in any desired manner to travel with it across a field or it may constitute a portion of the binder in which case the binder and the grain shocker will constitute a combined binder and shocker.

The frame of the grain shocker has side yokes l and 2 formed of strong bars of angle iron and each of these yokes has an upper arm 3 and a lower arm 4. The upper and lower arms extend in diverging relation to each other toward the rear of the machine, and in order to maintain the yokes in proper spaced relation to each other and brace them against transverse movement, there have been provided cross bars 5, 6 and i. A shaft 8 which extends transversely of the frame is mounted in bearings 9 at rear ends of the lower arm 4, and this shaft carries rollers ii! which are spaced from each other, as shown in Figure 2, and rest upon the ground. A standard H extends vertically at the front of the frame where it is held in the upright position by collars l2, and through this standard extends a rod 13 having its upper end portion projecting upwardly above the standard and bent to form an arm l4 terminating in an eye i5. A yoke I6 is mounted at the lower end of the standard H and carries a roller I'l constituting a front roller for the grain shocker. At their rear ends the upper arms 3 of the yokes l and 2 are formed with bearings 18, and these bearings carry a rocker shaft l9 which constitutes an upper brace 7 for the yoke as well as serving as a rocker shaft.

In order to receive the bundles of grain .delivered from the binder and hold a number of these bundles, there has been provided a receptacle or drum 26 which is formed of strong sheet metal and open at both ends. While the drum is of annular formation, ends of the sheet metal from which it is formed terminate in spaced relation to each other to provide a longitudinally extending inlet 2| through which the bundles of grain may enter the holder when the holder is in the lowered horizontal position shown in Figures 1 and 2. A disk 22 formed of strong metal is mounted in a vertical position at the front of the frame and, when the receptacle is in the lowered horizontal position, constitutes an abutment disposed in operative relation to the front end of the receptacle and adapted to limit forward movement of bundles delivered into the receptacle and prevent them from shifting forwardly beyond a position in which they will be properly held in the receptacle. A hollow core 23 which is of elongated tubular formation but closed at its ends by heads 24 extends longitudinally through the receptacle axially thereof, and this core is secured about a mounting rod 25 which extends axially through the core, as shown in Figures 2 and 3, and has its rear portion bent to form a laterally extending semi-circular arm 26 terminating in a flattened portion 21 firmly secured against the outer face of the receptacle and extending longitudinally thereof towards its front end. One of the fasteners for the flattened end portion of the arm 26 is formed with an eye 28 through which engages a hook 29 at the front or lower end of a rod or link 30 which has its other end formed with an eye 3| for engagement by one end of a spring 32 which serves to yieldably stop downward movement of the receptacle from the raised position shown in Figure 3 to the lowered position shown in Figure l. The upper end of the spring 32 is connected with the eye 33 of a second link or rod 34, and this rod is formed with a hook 35 which engages with the eye [5 to suspend the link therefrom. The spring not only serves to yieldably stop downward movement of the receptacle but since it is expanded when the receptacle is in its lowered position it will constitute means for assisting upward movement of the receptacle to its raised or vertical position. In order to mount the receptacle from vertical swinging movement, there have been provided ears or brackets 36 which fit about the shaft l9 and are firmly secured thereto by pins 31. Therefore, the receptacle will be firmly anchored to the shaft and, when the shaft is turned in the bearings I8, the receptacle will be swung vertically to a lowered or a raised position. A lever 38 is secured upon the shaft I9 by a pin 39 and this lever bent intermediate its length so that it projects forwardly beyond the receptacle. At its free end the lever terminates in an eye 40 and through this eye is secured a cable which is preferably a rope. The rope or cable is engaged with side pulleys 42 and of such length that it may extend to a convenient point upon a binder where it may be reached by the operator of the binder and pull exerted to turn the shaft H! in its bearings and swing the receptacle from the lowered horizontal position of Figure 1 to the raised vertical position of Figure 3 when the receptacle is filled with bundles of grain and it is desired to deposit them upon the ground and form a shock.

In order to deliver the bundles of grain into the receptacle, there has been provided a conveyer mounted at the side of the shocker which faces the binder. This conveyer consists of belts 43 which are engaged about rollers 44 and 45 carried by shafts 46 and 41. The shaft 41 extends longitudinally of the frame of the shocker and midway its length the shaft carries a pulley 48 about which is engaged the drive belt 49 having its lower end engaged about the pulley 56 which is carried by the shaft 8. It will thus be seen that, as the shocker is moved forwardly and the shaft 8 rotated by the action of the wheels I9, rotary motion will be transmitted to the shaft 4'! and as this shaft turns in a direction to cause the upper flight of the belt 43 to move to-' wards the shocker, as indicated by the arrow in Figure 2, bundles of grain which are discharged from the binder onto the conveyer belt will be moved from the binder towards the shocker and delivered into the receptacle 20 through its inlet opening 2|. A metal shield 5| extends vertically between the shafts 8 and 4'! about the drive belt 49 and the pulleys 45 and 50 and serves to prevent grain, grass or weeds from becoming tangled in the belt. In view of the fact that the conveyer projects from the side of the shocker facing the binder, the weight of the bundles might have a tendency to cause the shocker to tilt in this direction, and in order to prevent such tilting, there has been provided a bracing arm 52 which projects from the frame of the shocker at a downward incline and at its lower end carries a roller 53 which rests upon the ground.

When the bundles of grain are dropped from the receptacle onto the ground for forming a shock, it is desired to have them arranged in the usual double row with the upper ends of the bundles tilted into engagement with each other and butts or lower ends of the bundles spaced from each other. In order that this may be accomplished, there has been provided a spreader consisting of a rod or bar 54 extending rearwardly from the lower end of the standard or sleeve II. This rod extends rearwardly at a downward incline, as shown in Figures 1 and 3, and bent to form a horizontally extending spindle 55 engaged through a hanger 56 and projecting rearwardly from the frame. The rod 54 and the spindle 55 are so located that, when the receptacle is turned upwardly to the raised or vertical position, the spindle will be disposed diametrically of the receptacle, its length being such that it projects rearwardly beyond the receptacle. A plurality of sleeves 51 fit around the spindle 55 and these sleeves are in telescopic relation to each other. While two sleeves have been shown, it is to be understood that any number desired may be used. Each sleeve has a head 51' at its front end terminating in a neck 58 which fits snugly about the spindle, and in order to maintain the rear end of the rear sleeve concentric to the spindle, there has been provided a disk 59 carried by the spindle and fitting snugly in the sleeve. The forward end of the rear sleeve is surrounded by the rear end portion of the front sleeve and serves to maintain the front sleeve concentric to the spindle. When the receptacle is turned to the vertical position, the bundles of grain move downwardly through its open lower end and come to rest upon the ground at opposite sides of the spreader. The spreader moves forwardly with the shocker and, as it maintains the lower ends of the bundles in spaced relation to each other during depositing of the bundles upon the ground, a shock will be formed which will not fall over. The upper portions of the bundles should be held close together as they move downwardly through the receptacle about the core 23, and in order to do so, there has been provided a ring 60 formed of strong metal and of such diameter that it may freely move longitudinally through the receptacle. A rope 6| is secured midway its length through the eye [5 and thus provide a pair of strands 62 which are held together intermediate their length by a clip 63 or by forming a knot. The end portions of the strands pass through eyes 64 at ends of a guide yoke 65 carried by the curved arm 26 and mounted close to the upper or rear end of the receptacle in a plane parallel thereto. When the receptacle is in the filling position shown in Figure 1, the

ring 60 is held at the rear end of the receptacle where it will not interfere with movement of the bundles through the inlet 2| of the receptacle and, when the receptacle is swung upwardly to the raised and vertical position, the ring will move downwardly through the receptacle and engage about upper end portions of the bundles and thus retain the bundles in clustered formation as they slide downwardly through the vertical receptacle and out of the open lower end thereof onto the ground back of the shocker frame where they will come to rest upon the ground at opposite sides of the spreader and form a double row shock.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. In a grain shocker, a receptacle for bundles open at its ends and mounted for movement from a horizontal position to a vertical position, means for delivering bundles into said receptacle when in its horizontal position, and a spreader disposed under said receptacle for extending through a cluster of bundles dropped upon the ground from the receptacle when the receptacle is in its vertical position and shifting lower ends of the bundles away from each other for maintaining the bundles upright in shock-forming relation to each other.

2. In a grain shocker, a receptacle open at its ends and having a side portion formed with an inlet, said receptacle being mounted for movement from a horizontal filling position to a vertical discharging position, and an elongated spreader extending horizontally under said receptacle in position to pass through a cluster of bundles deposited upon the ground from the receptacle when the receptacle is in its vertical position and dispose the bundles in shock-forming relation to each other.

3. In a grain shocker, a frame, a receptacle carried by said frame and mounted for tilting movement from a lowered horizontal position for filling to a raised vertical position, said receptacle being open at its ends and having a side portion formed with an inlet, a conveyer for delivering bundles of grain into the receptacle through its inlet, manually actuated means for swinging said receptacle from its lowered filling position to a raised discharging position, and a spreader bar extending rearwardly from said frame under said receptacle in position to pass through the lower portion of a cluster of bundles deposited upon the ground from the raised receptacle and cause the bundles to assume shock-forming relation to each other.

4. In a grain shocker, a frame, a receptacle pivoted to said frame for swinging movement from a lowered horizontal position to a raised vertical position, means for delivering bundles of grain into said receptacle when in its horizontal position, means for moving the receptacle to its vertical position, and a spreader extending rearwardly from said frame under said receptacle in position for passing through a cluster of bundles deposited upon the ground from the vertical receptacle and disposing the bundles in shockforming relation to each other, said spreader consisting of a rod carried by and extending rearwardly from the frame, and sleeves loosely fitting about said rod with the forward ends of one sleeve fitting within the rear end portion of a sleeve in front of it.

5. In a grain shocker, a frame, a standard rising from said frame, a receptacle pivoted in said frame rearwardly of said standard for tilting movement from a lowered horizontal position to a raised vertical position, a yieldable connection between said receptacle and said standard for checking downward movement of the receptacle to its horizontal position and for assisting upward movement of the receptacle to its raised position, and manually operated means for swinging the receptacle to its raised position and retaining it in the raised position during discharge of bundles through the lower end of the vertically disposed receptacle.

6. In a grain shocker, a frame, a rocker shaft extending transversely of said frame and rotatably mounted, a receptacle fixed to said rocker shaft for swinging movement when the shaft is turned from a lowered horizontal position to a raised and vertical position, said receptacle being open at its ends and having a side opening constituting a filling opening, a lever extending from said rocker shaft, guides carried by said frame, and a pull cable secured at one end to said lever, said cable being engaged with said guides and of a length adapting it to be grasped by the operator of the shocker and pull exerted thereon to swing the receptacle upwardly to its vertical position for discharging bundles through the lower end of the receptacle onto the ground.

7. In a grain shocker, a frame, a receptacle in said frame mounted for movement from a lowered horizontal position to a raised vertical position, said receptacle being open at its ends and having a side portion formed with an inlet opening, a core extending axially through said receptacle, a ring loose in said receptacle, means for maintaining said ring adjacent the rear end of the receptacle when in its horizontal position and permitting movement of the ring towards the lower end of the receptacle when the receptacle is in its vertical position, and a spreader extending rearwardly from said frame under said receptacle for passing through the lower portion of a cluster of bundles discharged from the vertical receptacle and disposing the bundles in shock-forming relation to each other.

8. In a grain shocker, a frame, a receptacle pivoted in said frame for swinging movement from a lowered horizontal position for filling to a raised vertical position for discharging bundles, said,

receptacle being open at its ends and having a side formed with a filling opening, a standard rising from said frame and having a rearwardly extending arm at its upper end, a core extending longitudinally in said receptacle axially thereof, a guide yoke adjacent the rear end of the said receptacle, lines extending from the arm of said standard rearwardly therefrom at a downward incline and slidably passed through the guide yoke and secured to said ring to maintain the ring adjacent the rear end of the receptacle when the rei ceptacle is in a horizontal position, and means for moving said receptacle from its lowered position to its vertical position.

ALBIN P. LOFSTRAND. 

